How Long Pokémon’s Crown Tundra DLC Takes To Beat [UPDATE]

Update: As of November 1, 2020, HowLongToBeat polling suggests The Crown Tundra‘s main story takes about five and a half hours to complete, with some exploration of the DLC’s extra content bringing that playtime up to about 12 hours. A completionist route can take up to 30 hours, for players looking to collect all available Legendaries and beat the Galarian Star Tournament.

The introduction of downloadable content for Pokémon Sword and Shield has left some fans excited, while others feel the additions are lacking. When The Isle Of Armor released as the first expansion to the storyline, many found it wasn’t as long as they hoped. This has left players a bit concerned about whether The Crown Tundra will add enough to their Galar journeys and whether the new gameplay will be enough to justify the cost of the games’ expansion packs. So, how long does it take to beat Pokémon Sword and Shield’s Crown Tundra DLC?

It often takes many game developers a few tries to get DLC correct. Deciding how to expand a finished game and what sort of new content would be the best to incorporate means taking a few risks. Pokémon experienced these risks with the Isle of Armor DLC in June. The gameplay was a shallow 5 to 6 hours of main story, and much of what was added didn’t expand playability outside of that primary quest. The Crown Tundra includes new content that both expands the main story and gives players Dynamax Adventures and the Galarian Star Tournament as post-game challenges.

While little info about the DLC’s runtime is available so far, details from a few early reviews suggest The Crown Tundra DLC has added between 8 to 10 hours of main storyline for players to explore. However, reports from HowLongToBeat clock the DLC’s main story at just five hours. As of writing, only three players have submitted poll numbers, so Screen Rant will update this story when more information is available.

What The Crown Tundra DLC Adds To Pokémon SwSh’s Adventure

With side quests and extras added to this main story, though, Crown Tundra will likely run longer than the Isle of Armor’s total 10-hour length. Crown Tundra adds an additional 210 Pokémon to find and catch, as well as a large quantity of Legendary Pokémon for players to hunt down in the Dynamax Adventures and overworld, so this expansion could end up dashing fan fears that DLC may be worthless for the franchise.

The Crown Tundra‘s exact runtime is difficult to calculate, as well, since a large part of it focuses on exploration. There is plenty to look at and do the minute players step off the train into the DLC’s titular area, and it’s easy to lose countless hours hunting Pokémon and items in the new Wild Area and in the Dynamax Adventures, which can be started within 10 minutes of arriving. By giving this exploration option to players, The Crown Tundra could slow down players’ desire to burn through its primary story. With a new method of catching shiny Pokémon and a new tournament to test battle skills, too, players will likely be kept busy with all Pokémon Sword and Shield can offer in the new Crown Tundra DLC this fall.

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